Draft-equalizer



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DRAFT EQUALIZER.

Patented-July 21,- 1885.

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DRAFT EQUALIZBR.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OrE cE.

ALBERT SELLERS, OF LITTLETON, ILLINOIS.

DRAFT-I-EQUALIZER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 322,647, dated July 21, 1885.

Application filed May 22, 1895.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT SELLEEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Littleton, in the county of Schuyler and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Draft- Equalizer, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to draft-equalizersfor three horses; and it consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts,

whereby a three-horse equalizer is greatlysimplified, rendered. more efficient, and adapted for use either as a right or left hand attachment to machines or vehicles.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top view of my equalizer used as a right-hand attachment, the parts being in their normal position. Fig. 2 is also a top view of the equalizer with singlet-recs applied to its levers, and showing the parts in one of the abnormal positions which they are adapted for assuming. Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of Fig. 1, the bottom coupling-plate being removed to show the joint. Fig. 4. is a horizontal section just below the intermediate lever and its connecting-bar. Fig. 5 is a plan View of the equalizer with its parts reversed so as to make a left-hand attachment. Fig. 6 is a vertical central section of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a diagram for illustrating the action of the equalizer, and Fig. 8 represents modifications of parts.

The improved draft-equalizer represented in the drawings comprises a long lever-bar, A, and a short lever-bar, B, made separate, but coupled one with the other by means of broad metal plates a a, strap 1), and a tube, 0, as shown, or in any other suitable equivalent way. This manner of coupling the lever-bars forms a joint which permits the bars to form an angle more or less acute, as illustrated in Fig. 2, or an angle approximating thereverse of that shown, accordingly as the horses act upon the lever-bars. On the upper couplingplate, at one end, a segmental construction, as d, is adaptedyand from the termini of the segment the plate is extended into oblique arms ff, which are provided at their outer ends with coupling-loops g g, as shown. On top of the jointed lever-bars another short lever-bar, B, is applied, it being pivoted to the lever-bar B by a pivot-pin, h, riveted to (No model.)

the bar B and to a strap-plate, m, of the leverbar B. A tubular bearing, a, and wearingplates 11. a are applied to the levers B B, as shown, and the wearing-plate n is formed with a raised guiding and holding-down lip, a under which the segmental portion of the upper coupling-plate vibrates freely, and by which it is kept down in proper position, and the two lever-bars B B thus arranged form, when coupled, a compound lever about equal to the longlever-bar A; and in order to have the lever-bars B B act under the pull of the horses, so as to equalize the draft, I connect the short lever-bar B to the long lever-bar A by means of a connecting-rod, O, which is pivoted by one of its ends in the loop 9 of the arm f of the coupling-plate a, and connected by its other end loosely to the pivot end of a lug, s, fastened to the side of the short lever B.

In order to have the draft-equalizer serve either as a right or left hand attachment to a wheeled vehicle or other machine, the extra arm f, with loop 9, and an extra pivot-lug, s, are provided, as shown.

By examining Fig. 5 of the drawings it will be seen that the pivot-lug s, and the arm f, with its loop 9, have been brought into use, and that the positions of the levers have been reversed, so as to make the draft-equalizer a left-hand instead of a right-hand attachment.

The invention which I have described and represented is adapted for being applied to a vehicle or machine without a tongue, being connected thereto by clip and links D, or in any other appropriate manner, the clip-bolt E passing through the coupling-plates a a and tube 0, and serving as the center-pin for the equalizer to vibrate upon in the usual manner. Should the equalizer be applied to a tongued vehicle or machine, the bolt E would pass through a hammer-strap, down through the plates and tube into the tongue, in a wellknown manner.

In the operation of my equalizer the pull of 5 of the horses pulling on lever-bars A and B, the angle formed by these levers at the joint would, to a greater or less degree, be the reverse of that represented in Fig. 2; or should the pull be just equal throughout, the levers A, B, and B might occupy the positions shown in Fig. 1. The amount of vibration of the levers and connecting-rod is limited by the arms ff of the plate a coming against the bearing n on pivot h, or against the lip of of plate n, or in any other suitable manner.

The design of my invention is to provide an equalizer which will work successfully on any machine or vehicle, either right or left hand, and with or without tongue, and to have the machine or vehicle being drawn follow directly behind two of the horses, same as though the third horse was not present, all of which I have accomplished by the novel combination and construction shown.

Many of the equalizers in use require to be attached at two or more points to the machine or vehicle, producing thereby stiffness and side draft, and many are fastened out to one side of the center of draft, thereby producing a heavy side draft.

My equalizer fastens in but one place to the machine or vehicle, and, owing to this and its construct-ion, it is not liable to produce any appreciable side draft, and it gives each horse exactly an equal portion of the work to be done, allowing each to have an easy movement back or forward, and at the same time compelling each to pull his part of the load.

The convenience with which my equalizer can be taken off one vehicle or machine and placed on another, same as when a two-horse evener is used, renders it very useful and desirable. There being about three times as much pressure on one side of center of draft in a three-horse equalizer as there is on the other, that difference has to be overcome by an angling pull. This is why many equalizers have to be fastened in two or more places upon the machine or vehicle. My equalizer almost entirely overcomes this difficulty, owing to its peculiar construction, as shown, and by a careful adjustment of it there will not be more than two inches to seven of an angular pull, as is illustrated in the diagram, Fig. 7, wherein the angle-line 0 represents the connectingrod 0.

What I claim is 1. The long lever-bar A and short lever-bar B, coupled to each other by joint-plates a a, and a tube, 0, confined on plate a, in combination with the short lever-bar B, pivoted to the short lever B, and connected to the long lever bar A by an arm, f, of the couplingplate and a diagonal connecting-rod, G, which is pivoted to said arm f and to the lug of the lever-bar B, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The platea of the long lever A, provided with two arms, ff, in combination with the two lugs s s of the short lever-bar B, and with the reversible connecting-rod O and short le-' ver-bar B, substantially as described.

3. The plate a of the long lever-bar, having armsff, and a segment end, d, fitted under the lip 11. of the plate n of the short lever-bar B, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The three levers A B B, combined with .the oblique connecting-rod O, substantially as and for the purpose described.

ALBERT SELLERS.

Witnesses: I

JAMES L. DEWITT, DAVID W. WELLS. 

